MORE than a thousand people joined Ian Botham as he travelled through Newport on the final leg of his walk around South Wales in aid of the Noah's Ark Appeal.

Hundreds of well-wishers lined the streets of Cwmbran, Caerleon and Newport on Saturday to cheer the cricketing legend on through the final stage of his 210-mile walk as he raised almost £350,000 for charity for a children's hospital in Wales.

Noah's Ark patron Charlotte Church, ex-Hear'Say singer Noel Sullivan, cricketers Matthew Maynard and Robert Croft and former Welsh Rugby international Jonathan Davies were among the famous faces who joined Beefy for the final two-mile lap around Newport city centre.

Speaking at the finish line at Rodney Parade, the 46-year-old grandfather said: "I feel good but it's always a sad moment when I finish a walk.

"If I do another one it will be in Wales. The warmth, hospitality and generosity of the people of South Wales has been fantastic."

The only upset of the day was when Botham's wife, Kathy, tripped on a speed bump and had to be taken to Newport's Royal Gwent Hospital.

Their daughter, Sarah, said: "Kathy hurt her hand but she's fine now."

The nine-day trek took Botham and his team through Chepstow, Monmouth, Abergavenny, Pontypool, Blaenavon, Ebbw Vale, Blackwood, Newbridge, Cwmbran, Caerleon and Newport.

Throughout the gruelling route the walkers kept up a fast pace of four and a half miles an hour while volunteers with buckets collected money at the roadside.

The total collected had reached more than £250,000 by last Friday and organisers expect that figure to rise to well over £350,000.

Phase one of the Children's Hospital for Wales - costing £9.5 million - is already under way on land at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. It should be open by December 2004.

But the appeal still needs to raise £1.5 million to provide state-of-the-art equipment for the new hospital.

Botham said: "We've started the ball rolling, now it's up to the people of Wales to keep it going."